Lord of the Cakes!

I like to think that I'm competent in the kitchen. Actually, that's false modesty. I think I'm a darn good cook, and I'm a pretty good baker to boot. So when Dr. P volunteered to bring King Cake to Friday rounds at the hospital I was ready for the challenge. In fact, I was so ready I didn't even know what the "challenge" entailed. I had no clue what this royal pastry was, let alone how to make it. So I set to googleing, and in a blink of an eye I had answers.

King Cake (it seems), is a garish Mardi Gras delight. A sickeningly sweet freak show of colored sugar, butter, and dough. And for those who are not offended by the mere sight of this grotesque gâteau, snuggled into the madness is a little, bitty, plastic Christ child.


Now, I am sorry, and I mean no offense, as I'm sure there are many folks out there who love and revere the rosca de reyes, but this is not my kind of cake. So, I decided to deviate from the doctrine of the King cake (as I am prone to do), and make it suit my sensibilities.

BIG MISTAKE

The cake God is a jealous one, and when you mess with his business, he will mess with you.

Somehow my beautiful, fluffy dough baked into a hard nasty brick. You might blame it on the recipe, or the oven, or it even might be (heaven forbid) a result of my own folly. But I choose to blame the plasticine Prince of Peace. I think this was retaliation for disliking the whole "mangy manger cake" concept from the start. So I repent, and I promise that I will sacrifice any future king cakes I create in the traditional round/tacky/embedded-imitation-infant manner. And just in case... I'm using THIS new recipe instead :-)

Drama!

Late last week, as Two lay in the hospital in Cleveland suffering with mysterious, *horrible* symptoms, a GIANT semitruck plowed into our little car and pushed me, Tiny and the Princess through 20 or 30 feet of heavy traffic on one of the busiest streets in downtown D.C. (without even realizing we were there). Drama indeed.

But here's where I realize this is a scene from my incredibly blessed life and not some made-for-TV tearjerker on Oxygen: the kiddies and I walked away with nary a scrape, and today Two is doing well, feeling great and -- get this -- performing a big gig in California.

One of my favorite Hungarianisms is "micsoda?*" It is a not-particularly-elegant turn of phrase that translates practically as "what the heck?" But what I love is the literal translation, which is "what miracle?"

The bizarreness and severity of both Two's illness and my accident really deserve a loud and indignant "micsoda?!" And the wondrously un-dramatic resolution of both situations truly demands a quieter, but equally fervent "micsoda!"

Many, many thanks to all who have been so kind and caring and concerned about everything. We're all happy, well and feeling terribly blessed. Miracle indeed.

*Pronounced "me-choda" (rhymes with "free soda")

Double Dream Hands!

No Sew Suede Skirt

About a month ago, I happened across instructions for making a no sew suede skirt. The instructions boasted "If you can sew a button, you can make this skirt". What can I say? I was in. 

 With Five's invaluable aid, I bought the material and notions (a solitary button), traced my template, and cut! 

Unfortunately the material wasn't the same color on both sides (my bad!), so I did have to do a little more sewing than I had anticipated. But you shouldn't have that problem if you buy the right kind of suede.

Don't irritate Five when she's holding sharp objects.

I love the scalloped edges!

 The result wasn't perfect, but Five and I were very pleased with the it. Momo--who was the recipient of our craft--seems to like it too. I had hoped to get a picture with Momo wearing the skirt, but she had already left to Cleveland and taken it with her! That's a good sign, right?

Hoo Rah!

it's Dr. P's BIRTHDAY!

Fact: I really like Dr. P's birthday.

It's a strange thing to say, but it's true. I like it because it gives people an excuse to celebrate my wonderful (but modest) man friend. But I really like it because it was also my wonderful Great Grandma D's birthday. Grandma D was born in 1902 and lived with us for 10 years while I was growing up. She was a feisty lady, who lived to see so much of what fills today's history books. She also always had a way of making me feel loved and lovely, even when I was a moody teenager with gold braces and hair that was 3 feet long.

I love that these two people I hold so dear, but who were never able to meet, have this date in common. There are several people in my life who just missed their chance to get to know each other, so it's nice to find these little connections. And you know what? I think Grandma D and Dr. P would have gotten along quite nicely.

Uh Oh!

A few months ago my friend Flo Anito asked if Four, Five and I would be extras in the music video for her song "Uh Oh!". I loved the idea of being in the video with my sisters, especially one for Flo. You see, I view Flo the way I'm sure many people view me, as one of a set of sisters. I was introduced to the Sisters Anito freshman year by the Darling Miss M Anito. Miss M, has always been happy to act as a sister in residence when I am away from my lovies, so it was a real joy to return the favor.

Five and I were employed as extras, and Four was charged with the vital role of "Body Double". Being an extra was long, hot, sweaty work, and we were pretty pooped after the few hours we spent on set at the Capital City Diner (I can only imagine how Flo and her director Francisco Campos-Lopez felt after their 12 hours of filming). While we came away with some pretty awesome pictures, and Flo got a really awesome music video, I'll think twice before I say yes if I'm ever asked to be an extra again... unless it's a zombie movie. I would definitely say yes to being a zombie.

The worst kind of rejection

No one likes to be rejected.  It hurts feelings.  It makes us feel out of place.  It makes us sad.  But it is the worst to be the one rejecting others.  We might not know it when it happens, but years later, it is the rejecting that we will regret.  Why this sudden commentary on rejection?  Have I been rejected?  Have I been rejecting a lot of people?  The answer is "no" to both.  But I am having a doctor's apt. today day and I DON'T want to reject ANYTHING!  So say a little prayer that my body will be nice to my lungs and remember to be nice -- to others and your lungs!